The Washington critic., 1887-05-28
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

luc w unulubtOu COETebpOuu6uJ VI
the New York Herald says that the
President, on the occasion Of his re.
cent first visit to Mount Vernon, quite
captured the affections Of the officers
and crew Of the W. w. Corcoran, the
only vessel which has right to land
at Mount Vernon. The engineer is
now the happy recipient Of beauti.
fully written and expressed autograph
letter from the President acknowledg.
Ing, with thanks, the receipt Of an
oaken goblet sent him as a present by
the engineer Of the Corcoran. This
goblet Is made Of oak from big tree
at Mount Vernon, and also has piece
Of the original house there and Of the
old Pohick Church, near by, inlaid In
II. It is bound with silver which is
part Of some once used by Chief Jus.
tice Marshal and his family. Captain
L. L. Blake, who commands the Cor
coran, although he has always boasted
that he has never been married, never
been to wedding and never voted,
now thinks II he had legal place Of
residence outside the District OF Colum.
bia he would be glad to vote for Cleve.
land for President next year, as he
thinks him too good President to be
set aside with only one term.
~.
The Supreme Courtroom, says a
letter In the New York Sun, has
mourning above the doors, and the
chair Of the late Justice Woods Is
draped with black. The carpet and
cushioned seats give darkened tone
to the room, though the walls are q
grayish tint. Marble busts Of six Chief
Justices are set against the walls on
marble brackets. They form row,
but are not placed. as one would sup.
pose, In the order Of holding the office.
When the court is in session, there is
but one picturesque figure belonging to
the room. OF course, one docs not re.
fer to the bench. The judges, in their
gowned dignity, may be quite impos.
Ing, sometimes are so. Blu. tho pic.
turesque centres in the court page, a
blind lad Of IA. with long, fair, curling
hair. His position is usually at the
elbow Of the Chief Justice, and ladies
say the court page should have cos
tune Of black velvet and point lace,
after the fashion of King Charles
court. But this would hardly please the
"Jeffersonian simplicity" of the Dem.
ocratic members of the bench. How
ever, as 1t Is, without velvet and lace,
the court page seems to have q pretty
good time of It, The court doorkeeper
Is dignifled black man who has grown
gray Of his post. Nobody knows how
many years he has been there. 1t Is
doubtful If he himself could say just
how many terms he has sat through,
pulling the cord that opens the green
baize doors for visitors. His solemn
face and speechless manner give suill-
clent hint TO keep silence, and the Wis.
itor who enters the Supreme Court
room Is expected to leave his talk out.
side.
w.
A queer story is told a New York
Sun reporter by wellknown society
man. He said: "a lady, who had
grown tired Of the setting of her dia-
mond ring, called at Tlffany's last
week, and described the setting she
would like. The attendant casually
examined the ring, and greatly aston
ished the lady when he remarked
Madam, this is not diamond; It's
glass The lady replied thatit couldn't
be possible; the ring was her engage
ment ring, and added: My earrings
were given me at the same time by my
husband. The attendant asked her Ia
permit him to examine the car rings
and these also were discovered to be
glass of very fine quality. The lady
told the young man that the ring and
the earrings were bought at Tiffany 8
and the books proved that she was cor
rect. and that the young man whose
wife she was on the day he gave them tc
her had paid good price for them
The mystery deepened but all that the
clerk could say was that the diamonds
had been out of Tiffany's place for I
number of years. The lady returned t.
DER home. She then recalled that she ha(
dismissed her butler several weeks be
fore, and questioning the servant
about him she learned that he had fre
quently mentioned that he was jew
eler In France or Germany. The lad,
concluded that he had removed he
diamonds, and Inspector Byrnes Il
looking for that jeweler butler"
~
II. w. Ripley of Portland, Me-, VIII,
has passed forty nine summers In tn
White Mountains, tells story abou
Henry Ward Beecher. Mr.. Beeche
once drove q passenger wagon from til
Twin to the Crawford just for fun. Il
turning around bis team becam
tangled up and his wagon bid fair t.
tip, when Portland and Ogdensburi
conductor. looking out of chambe
window of the hotel, shouted:" Let g
your leaders, you - old fool J.
"That's good advice, young man,
was Mr.. Beecher's calm reply, as III
followed 1t.
~
Says Washington letter to the Ne'
York Tribune: Great Britain, Germany
Japan and Mexico now own Legatio
houses in Washington. The Britis
Legation was built In Sir Edwar
Thornton's time as Minister. 1t
not so long ago, dozen years, pei
haps, but the house seemed In tn
country then and quite out Of the city
Its nearest neigbbor was "Stewai
Castle" a little further out and NOR
hopelessly surrounded by wastes O
marsh land, from which rose the con
stnut crnakinp az frous and the naveI